Candle wick



May 14, 1935. A. T. CANDY, JR

' y CANDLE WICK Filed Feb. 5, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 self-supporting wicks,

Patented ay 14,' i935 Albert T. Candy,

Candy & -Company, poration of ois Application February 5,

Claims.

My invention relates to Wicks, and more especially to candle wicks for candles used in sanctuary lamps. My wick is also adapted for use in oil burning lamps using upstanding or especially in those sanctuary lamps where the liquid fuel is in a cylindrical container.

In solid candles (as well as in what might be termed liquid candles) which are to burn One object of my invention is to provide a Wick'having the equivalent upstanding or selfsupporting characteristics, but not requiring a core.

Another object is the provision of a stiifening the initial period of its burning.

The foregoing, together with further objects, features, and

accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a, longitudinal section through a candle and sanctuary lamp therefor, the candle having a wick embodying a preferred form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary section through the upper end of the unburned candle showing the upper end of the wick;

Fig. 3 is a somewhat similar enlarged fragmentary section but showing the wick and candle under normal burning conditions;

Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse plan sections taken on the lines 4 8 and 5 5 respectively, of Fig. 2

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing Jr., Oak Park, lill., assignor to Inc.,

Chicago, Ill., a cor- 1934, Serial No.' 709,721 (Cl. 67-22) wick in normal burning conmeeting the upper end of the jacket I3 to seal off the air space 29. e cap is arranged to give an adjustable air intake through the regulating holes 28, the hot combustion gases leaving at the central aperture 21. I prefer, however, to dispense with any reinforcing ring at the top edge of the jacket I3.

The main wick 30,l is formed of twisted entirely burned or consumed.

lr. Such construction, however, did

not free the wick from the stiifening effect of the reinforcement within the vertical distance of the flame to permit the normal self-consuming feature of the Wick to function.

Instead of putting the reinforcing bamboo strip as a core within the Wick, I apply the bamboo strip 3| externally of the,wick and side by side with the wick. The strip 3| and the Wick are held together by a fine lead wire 32 wrapped spirally about the surface of the wick, leaving, preferably about three thirty-seconds of an inch space between convolutions, this spiral wrapping extending the 'entire length of the wick.

The bottom end of the wick is held by the projections 33 struck up from a sheet metal disc 34, which forms a supporting base for the wick. In the instance of `a solid candle the supporting disc 32 holds the wick upright when the candle has burned down to a level where the body of the candle itself couldno longer adequately support the wick. In the instance of lamps where a liquid rather than a solid fuel is substituted in the shell |3 or other cup, the supporting disc 3d may be relied upon to hold the wick upright at all times.

Referring to Fig. 3, the heat of the flame melts the externally wrapped wire 32 down to the level of the melted wax of the candle. This fully frees the wick, above the base of the flame, from the stiffening influence of `the bamboo strip 3| and of the spiraled wireitself which also has a considerable stiffeningeffect even apart from the strip 3|. This permits the tight strand in the wick, when subjected to the heat and charring effect of the flame, to curve the upper end of the wick over to the lateral edge of the flame well below the tip of the flame so that the curved end of the wick can have free access to the oxygen of the air and burn or consume the wick entirely without leaving any charred remains which might smoke or fall down into the liquid Wax and gradually dirty it.

I might explain that in the instance of those wicks where bamboo reinforcing strips constituted a central core for the wick, the wick acted as a shield or jacket for the strip so that it would not be burned and hence free the wick for the self-consuming bending at a level sufficiently below the tip of the wick. The wick and the bamboo extending practically to the tip of the flame made a smokier flame. In those wicks where the stiffening core was a comparatively heavy lead wire, the lead core would similarly be shielded by the jacketing wick and the core would not melt at the base of the flame but at a point near the tip.

Even where the fabric wick is not of the selfconsuming type, there is an important advantage in mounting the reinforcing strip externally of the wick rather than as a central core. In practice` commercial split bamboothe usual reinforcingstrip material-is not of uniform cross section. Some will run larger than others. A given tubular fabric wick filled out to one diameter by a bamboo core will have a largercapacity than an identical wick lled out to a lesser diameter by a bamboo core which happens to run slightly smaller in cross section. In production this results in lack of uniformity in flame size and rate of consumption of the candles.

' Variations in cross'sections of the bamboo strips,

when applied externally, have practically no ef,- fect on the capacity of the Wick, size of flame or rate of consumption. If the fabric wicks duced diameter.

are substantially ,uniform in production- Which they are-the performance of the candles will be uniform, in so far as the wick is concerned,A

non-tubular but where the split bamboo reinforcing strip 3| is omitted, the fine lead wire 32 being spirally wrapped around the wick only. Either with the external split bamboo reinforcement 3| of Fig. 2, or the spiraled wire alone of Fig. '7, my wick has a greater flexibility within its elastic limit than is `the case with wicks having a lead wire core. There is thus less danger of the wick being permanently deformed upon slight bending incident to shipping, handling and assembly.

I now refer to another feature of my wick which, while illustrated as applied to a wick using external bamboo reinforcing strip, may be incorporated with the wick of Figs. 6 and 7 using only a spiraled Wire, or even to wicks having no formal reinforcement. The upper end of the wick is augmented by an auxiliary or collateral wick 30 which, as shown in Fig. 2, may conveniently be placed on the side of the bamboo reinforcement 3| opposite the main Wick 30 before the spiraled wire 32 is applied, so that the wire serves to bind together the main wick, the bamboo strip and the collateral wick. The effect is to give the wick approximately double capacity for a short distance at its upper end. The vertical distance of this increased capacity of the wick, as thus secured, extends from the upper end of the wick, through the distance by which the wick usually initially protrudes and also through the distance represented by the height of the central mound-like portion |Ua, of lesser diameter of wax at the upper end of the candle.

When the wick is initially lit, the flame burns with approximately double the normal size because of the double capacity of the Wick. The candle material for consumption of the wick during the operativeness of its double size comes primarily from the central portion IDa of re- The greatly increased size of the flame causes a more rapid heating and melting of the body of the candle to melt the wax down to the normal burning depth of liquid wax, as represented by Fig. 3. Because the melting of the requisite depth of Wax is accomplished more quickly due to the increased size of the initial flame from the double capacity wick, while the linear rate of consumption of the wick is not materially increased, the result is that the full normal burning depth of liquidi wax is secured before the wick has been consumed down to the point where the rise in level of the liquid wax, due to its great expansion upon melting, can rise to the point of submerging the wick and extinguishing the flame. Nor does the rise in the level of the liquid, due to its great expansion upon melting, Vcome so close to the upper end of the wick as to cause an inadequate flame for some time during the initial burning of 'the candle.

I might explain that this problem of avoiding the submerging of the wick due to the expansion of the wax upon melting, is one which' becomes increasingly acute` as the diameter of the candley ame is retained against rapid dissipation With the result that the candle carries a much deeper layer of melted wax and, consequently, a greater rise in liquid level upon the melting of the wax to such liquid depth.

While I have illustrated these specific embodiments of my invention, I contemplate that variations and changes may be made thereover without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention. For example, other metals or alloys of low fusing point may be used in substitution for the lead mentioned and a wire may be applied other vthan as a simple spiral alone. For example, a left-handed spiral of Wire might be wrapped upon the initial right-hand spiral, or a plurality of strands might be woven about the Wick as a braided jacket.

1. A candle wick comprising a self-consuming fabric wick, a reinforcing strip extending therealong externally thereof, and a fine wire, fusible at the temperature at the base of the flame, openly Wrapped about the fabric Wick and strip for holding them together.

2. A candle wick comprising a self-consuming fabric wick, a reinforcing strip extending therealong externally thereof, and means for holding the fabric wick and strip together, said means being rendered inoperative above the base of the flame by subjection to the temperature of the base of the flame.

3. A candle wick comprising a self-consuming fabric Wick, a reinforcing strip of combustible material extending side by side therewith, and a connecting member for holding the strip to the fabric Wick, the connecting member being fusible at the temperature of the base of the flame.

4. A burning candle comprising a cylindrical body of solid wax, a layer of melted wax thereabove, a fabric wick extending upwardly through the solid and melted Wax and protruding thereabove, a flame at the upper end of the Wick, a reinforcing strip of combustible material extending side by side with the fabric wick externally thereof, and a. wrapping of wire of a metal, fusible at the temperature of the base of the flame, about the fabric wick and strip to secure them together, the wire extending through the solid and melted wax up to but not substantially into the body of the ame, the fabric wick having a tight strand to render it self-consuming.

5. A fabric candle wick of substantially uniform capacity throughout its length except that downwardly from one end for a substantial disconsuming fabric wick, a

tance but a minor portiony of its length it is of substantially increased conducting capacity.I 6. A candle comprising a cylindrical body of wax having a wick extending centrally therethrough, and protruding therefrom, the protruding end of the wick being of increased capacity, relative to the body of the wick, the region of increased capacity extending downwardly into the top end of the wax for a substantial distance.

7. The combination of a cylindrical solid candle, a lamp therefor jacketing the candle and its flame, the upper end of the candle -having a protruding mound-like portion of reduced diameter, and a fabric wick extending centrally through the candle and protruding at the upper end thereof beyond said mound portion, said protruding portion of the wick and the portion of the wick extending through the height of said mound-like portion being of substantially greater capacity than the remainder o f the candle for providing a flame of increased size and rate of Wax consumption during the initial burning of the candle.

8. A composite candle wick comprising a selfreinforcing strip of bamboo extending there-along externally thereof, and a Wrapping of wire of a metal fusible at llame temperature for holding the fabric Wick and strip together, and an auxiliary fabric wick extending along the first-mentioned wick and the strip downwardly from the upper end of the composite wick for only a minor portion of the length thereof and also embraced by said Wrapping, whereby the composite wick is of increased capacity at its upper end.

9. A composite wick for candles comprising a long substantially straight length of strandlike fabric Wick, a reinforcing strip of llameconsumable material extending side by side with, and externally of, the fabric Wick, and a wrapping about the fabric wick and strip for holding them assembled, the Wrapping being rendered inoperative by the temperature of the base of the flame.

10. A composite wick for candles comprising a length of self-consuming fabricwick, a strip of split bamboo side by side with, and externally of, the fabric wick, and a ne wire, fusible at' the temperature of the base of the flame, Wrapped about the fabric wick and the strip to hold them in assembled relation but permitting the Wick and strip to pull apart above the base of the flame.

ALBERT T. CANDY, JR. 

